While all the Christmas lights are in stock, I have a little idea you might want to try that will be a pretty decor in your home long after the tree has been taken down. This won’t even look like a Christmas decoration, but a sweet little light in a dark corner.
Continue reading “Add a Little Light”Tag: home
God, Why Have You Blessed Us?
You can listen to this post on Refresh Her podcast.
Have you ever looked around and really noticed how much God has blessed you? The homes we have, the material blessings that He gives are all gifts from His loving, generous hands. How can we use them to serve the Lord?
Listen to what the psalmist said – Psalm 67: 1 God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.
2 That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.
This was a request for blessing.
This psalm comes from the Aaronic Blessing of Numbers 6:24-26, where the High Priest of Israel would pronounce this beautiful blessing upon the people.
1 Peter 2:9-10 tells us that all believers are also a priesthood. We offer a priestly service to the world, and we primarily do it through evangelism.
“God be merciful.”
“The best saints and the worst sinners may unite in this petition.” (Spurgeon)
It would be quite a sight to see a guilty criminal before a judge, pleading for mercy, and receiving it – and then asking for a blessing! But God’s love toward us is that great!
And cause His face to shine upon us: To have the glorious, happy face of God shining upon us is the greatest gift we could have. To know that as God looks upon you, He is well pleased – not because of who you are, or what you have done, but because you are in Jesus Christ – there is no greater source of peace and power in life.
Bless us.
Then we read why he is asking this:
That Your way may be known on earth,
Your salvation among all nations.
The psalmist had a beautiful scope in mind: not just Jerusalem, not just Judea, not just all of Israel, not just all the Middle East, not just all the Mediterranean world, not just his continent or hemisphere, but all the earth.
God wants us to have the same heart and the same vision – for all the earth.
We are blessed in Christ. We have been saved.
Then beyond that, God blesses us in so many other ways with His grace blessings – things He gives that we don’t deserve. It reminds us of His great love for us, but why else does God bless us.
Let me ask you – Why do you have a home? Oh sure, for shelter and rest, but why did God give you the home you’re living in?
A Quiet Respite Served with Christian Hospitality
Happy Monday, friends! We were on the road this past weekend with D and D ministries. It was a joy to speak at a church staff training and encourage the folk regarding their ministries where they serve. I had the blessing of speaking to the women in a split session. Dale preached three times on Saturday and three times on Sunday. I guess you could say we jumped into the fall schedule with both feet! It was a blessing!
We stayed overnight in the home of Church members, and we were served so sweetly. Our gracious hosts served in such a way that made it seem easy. Yet it’s humbling to be the guest because I know how much work goes into that. I always pray for our hosts the week before we go, knowing the load that they carry.
The gracious people who housed us worked ahead before we got there. I could see it in every detail.
Continue reading “A Quiet Respite Served with Christian Hospitality”
Refreshing Your Home This Spring
Springtime is the time for sprucing things up! It doesn’t always have to be a huge project – sometimes just a deep spring cleaning will do it. Other times a greater change is needed.
For us, this spring meant it was time to paint. Isn’t it amazing what a can of paint will do to a room?! We’ve lived in our house twelve years, and the color of the walls and the paint itself were showing their age. We painted downstairs two years ago and it made such a difference! I knew it was time for that kind of refresh upstairs.
Creating a Loving Atmosphere at Home
This is the conclusion of our discussion about managing our homes in a series I’ve called, Maytag, messes and meals. You can listen to this post here on Refresh Her podcast.
In the previous posts we’ve dealt with the laundry, the housekeeping and the meals. Let’s wrap up with some thoughts that will encourage you in your day to day management.
- Prepare your heart for the day. Talk to the Lord about your day and your work. Give it to Him.
Ps. 90:17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
Proverbs 16:3
Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.
So often, the things I worried about and wondered how I’d get done never happened! Giving it to the Lord keeps you from worrying before it takes place, then allows you to see a gracious God moving things out of the way and/or giving you strength to get it done.
But it starts with preparing your heart.
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